Speak Out 6/21/09

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Watching extremists

In light of the shooting of an abortion doctor and the Holocaust Museum shooting, I was saddened to read that the Missouri Information Analysis Center has apparently been badgered by conservatives into suspending reports about the threat posed by far-right extremists. However, I did take heart in learning that law enforcement and intelligence agencies are watching such individuals or groups as closely.

Dangerous signal

REGARDING the stoplights at the entrance to Arena Park on Kingshighway: If you are coming from the park to turn left onto Kingshighway, you have an arrow to turn left. But when traffic is coming across Kingshighway, the left-turn light turns solid green. If a person is not paying full attention, he will turn left into the oncoming traffic, which is what I saw happen and a horrible crash nearly occurred. These lights need to be rethought before someone is killed. I have seen this type of light nowhere else in Cape. Get rid of this light.

Real stimulus

INSTEAD of giving trillions of dollars to corporations and banks, why not give every legal citizen in the United States a million dollars? Just think what it would do. It would eliminate unemployment. Homeowners could pay off their mortgages. This would eliminate the banking crisis. Citizens could pay for their own health needs. This would eliminate the health benefit crisis. They would buy new cars and trucks. this would eliminate the auto industry crisis. The taxes from all they spend would go back to the the government and pay off the national debt. Of course, we wouldn't really be dependent on politicians any more.

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So in other words, you don't have sense enough to make a left turn unless you have an arrow?

-- Posted by Red Devil on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 6:02 AM

Morning all,

I watched "Kill Shot" last night. There were about 5-6 Cape scenes still in the movie. The top of the court house steps view, a couple of dry dock scenes, crossing our nice new bridge, and Diann Lane walking the river front.

It started out pretty good but the end was too predictable. Overall, I'd give it 2 out of 4 stars.

290 passengers, hmm, for grins and accounting purposes, let's say that number represents only those leaving out of Cape.

So, 290 total passengers divided by (151 days x 2 flights per day leaving Cape) = 0.96 passengers average on any given outbound flight. Hmm, not very efficient use of what I assume is still a 19-passenger or so aircraft.

When I used to fly quite a bit on company travel a couple of years back, I always tried to fly out of Cape. The added fare was usually a lower cost as compared to mileage paid for using my personal vehicle and the parking fees when flying out of StL.

The company incurred a lower total cost of travel, and I received the benefit of a quick 10-minute trip to the airport, and only a 50-yard jaunt from the parking lot to the boarding area. Win-win!

The longest connecting flight layover in StL experienced was about 2 hours, which became a wash timewise as compared to driving to StL. IIRC, the flights to and from Cape then always seemed to be at least half-full, with several being booked completely full.

Also, security was much easier and less chaotic to get through at Cape.

Dangerous signal....I would assume people attempt to go before the oncoming traffic comes, sometimes not making it. relax, people! Are you really in that big of a hurry?

Real stimulus...yes, I like this idea! What would you do with a million dollars?

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 10:07 AM

James, are they far-right or just right? Apparently there is a difference.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 10:32 AM

Ohhh but we'll never know if a lefty extremist pulls something. His/her political affiliation is never mentioned. That's biased media. I am against extremists of any affiliation. A nutjob is a nutjob LOL

Food for thought..

Maybe we should be watching 'some' of our politicians a little closer. They may not go out and shoot one person, but they certainly could dispose of a lot of people at once, ie: those who disagree with their Socialist agendas???

Wheels, what gives with this 'fallen' talk? You are starting to sound defeated.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:55 AM

No arrests? huh? last thing I SAW was the driver with his nose to the back windshield of HIS ride in cuffs & they were dealing with the passenger. It happened maybe a hour or two before I posted, I'll go check it out.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 12:01 PM

Rick, my $'s on this one:

Arrest

* David S. Rains, 19, 217 S. Bast St., was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana under 35 grams.

He probably gave the police a slow chase while eating his stash. I guess if ya gonna spend the night in the 'pokey', that's the way to go. lol

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 12:05 PM

Just a quick look at the Holocaust Museum shooter and you will see that his views included as many far left as far right. Plus some that are not the sole domain of either (Anti-Semitism and Racism).

Was the Unabomber the last left wing terrorist to get a lot of attention? How about the eco-terrorists? How about the anti-military terrorists of late?

As for the murderer of the abortion Doctor. Certainly right wing even though there are plenty of leftists that are pro-life. The pro-life leftists are not fanatics about it. Of course, the pro-life righties are generally not violent and the violent ones are repudiated by the vast majority.

-- Posted by bobby62914 on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 12:11 PM

Me'Lange

Love your new slogan for the City of Cape.

Since they are having some revenue issues, maybe someone can contact Verizon to see if they can film one of those "dead zone" commercials.

Fxpwt

Great post on breaking down the math. Maybe they are counting the Pilots as well. That would skew the math somewhat.

-- Posted by gman on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 12:49 PM

Wheels, what gives with this 'fallen' talk? You are starting to sound defeated.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:55 AM

Turnip,

Nope, not defeated, quite the contrary, I'm inspired! Forgot the quotes... should have said "fallen right".

-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 1:29 PM

I'm all for the stimulus to go for us, but the only problem with that would be, if everyone had a million dollars, who would want to work? I know quite a big number of people who would take that million and just sit at home with it, maybe we should rethink the amount then we could suggest it to the gov't officials who will probably just say no and then come up with a reason why they are going to line their own pockets even more!! Just my ramblings for the day...Happy Father's Day to all!! Hope you enjoy your day!!

-- Posted by jjmom68 on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 4:02 PM

Wheels, glad to hear it! I was beginning to think you needed a swift kick in the rear! ☻

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 4:36 PM

More fun with airport numbers, since this issue really gripes my, er, 'farm animal also known as a donkey' :

Given a residential property tax assessment rate at 19% of 'fair market value' - suggest that a $100,000 house would have its property taxes increased by $0.25 / $100 x $100,000 x 0.19 = $47.50 annually.

For comparison, one would have to buy $47.50 / $0.50 x $100 = $9,500 worth of goods in the city of Cape to contribute this same dollar amount to the water park.

The 2008-9 budget lists the actual expenditures for the 2007-8 budget year ( http://www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/files... p92 ) ending 30 June 2008 as $525,871. The period from Jan - May is five months out of the twelve month budget. Assuming equal 'payments' monthly yields $219,113 during this period. WAGging that commercial flight operations is 50% of the airport's regional value - then $219,113 x 0.50 / 290 = $377 contributed from the city per outgoing passenger.

Yes, assumptions have been made due to limited information, but trying to gain an appreciation for the orders of magnitude here, so that emotions can be elevated to the proper level.

/******/

Re: Dangerous signal

Hey Vern, I thinks I found the real problem - "If a person is not paying full attention, ..." Where's that John Deere? Appears that someone needs help pulling their head out. :-)~

-- Posted by fxpwt on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 7:09 PM

Heheheh, Rick,

Sometimes I get the sinking feeling that the only thing the leaders of this area could do that wouldn't suck, would be to build a vacuum cleaner. :-)~

Megalo, It was your 'goofy game' to begin with, perhaps you should have picked a better question! Do you really want to rehash this AGAIN...OK, here we go...my initial comment to yours was that it was distasteful, remember? Then you came back with some lame brain excuse that you posted on a different article that didn't include the details, alzheimers' I believe. See! I have a pretty decent 'harddrive' as well. Anyways, then I said you were 'full of SHAT'. Liar....that's harsh, I would not say that about you esp. now that I know you a lil' better. BUT you are full of shat, so full of shat I bet your eyes are brown and you are crazier than cooterbrown! I mean that in the most loving way possible.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:03 PM

oh, I forgot, that wasn't my debut either. I had been around for a bit before that happened.

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:04 PM

Oh, Lordy....I think he's lost in the archives. ☻

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:13 PM

Turnip

Play nice!

I couldn't tell you for sure because I don't usually look at a man's eyes, preferring the female type, but I think his eyes may be blue as I remember things from the visit I had with him.

Who the hell is cooterbrown?

If Megalo is crazy... it's more like a fox, so be careful how you treat him. And I do say that in a respectful manner.

Anyway his air conditioner is broken and it is hot and steamy, have mercy!

Megalo

You're homeless, so let's see how compasionate Turnip is. Take your wife and kids and go to Jackson and stay with her family till the A/C is repaired.

Wheels, why do u always get on to me first? Tell him to play nice. Besides I don't mean crazy like needs to be institutionalized crazy, I mean silly crazy. I have no idea who CooterBrown is, my husband always says that?? The only Cooter I recall was Duke of Hazzard, don't recall his last name? He was kind of crazy, in a silly way.

Weren't you in the heating/cooling business, why don't you go help him?

-- Posted by Turnip on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:36 PM

Invest in a window unit.

-- Posted by EdofDoom on Sun, Jun 21, 2009, at 11:37 PM

Turnip

"Wheels, why do u always get on to me first?"

Because you are the female and they are more compassionate and caring, they are more nurturing.

And here I was humming a few bars from Matchmaker, matchmaker....

Sigh, I guess my help wasn't appreciated,

Yes , I was in the A/C business, but Megalo would be cooked in his own juices three days before I was able to find enough of my tools to do a major repair, and from what he told me about his unit, it is about as old as me, so major is probably the order of the day.

The grape tomatoes are blooming already and I saw a couple of very small ones showing up from the first blooms.

The other plants look like they might be blooming any day now.

Regards the A/C, air movement is everything and if it isn't happening due to clogged filters, or clogged evaporator coil, it is simply not going to do a good job. The coil on older units can really get clogged up over time due to somebody running it without a filter or even poor filters that let the dirt through.

I had almost forgotten about tomatoes. The wife picked up some vidalia onions Friday and I have been feasting on those. Fresh bread, real butter and slices of vidalia onions and I feel as lucky as Obama eating his Koby beef.

Those old belt driven blowers could be noisey also but should work ok, so long as somebody didn't make changes to the adjustable pulley to slow them down thereby quieting them down some. Also the blower wheel on something that old can get packed with dirt and it really cuts their efficiency.

Do you think we chased Turnip off. she always gets all torqued up when you start razzing her a little.

When you have someone look at this for replacement, with a breathing problem developing, inquire into a space guard filter. I believe if I remember correctly (and you would be amazed at what you forget when you don't do this every day) a company by the name of Research Products builds them. Of course they may have been sold 3 times since I retired. But they take a special pleated filter, not horribly expense and lasts a long time. They are built on the same principle as filters in operating rooms and other areas that need to stay clean. Of course they are on a much smaller scale. Can be easier to maintain and almost as efficient as an electronic filter, because they have a lot of square inches of filtering area and the air therefore moves slowly over the surface giving them the opportunity to pick up much finer particles of dust and other materials such as pollens.